1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an interleaf removal apparatus for removing interleaves (or slip sheets) out of a storage part in which a stack of alternating plates and interleaves are stored, in a plate feed apparatus for an image recording system for forming an image on a plate.
2. Description of the Background Art
A plate feed apparatus automatically feeds a plate to an image recorder for directly recording an image on the plate by directing laser light onto the plate. An interleaf removal apparatus is used in such a plate feed apparatus.
A plurality of plates and a plurality of interleaves for preventing the plates from rubbing against each other are alternately vertically stacked in a cassette in the plate feed apparatus.
The interleaf removal apparatus holds and fixes an interleaf under suction by means of a movable suction cup and moves the suction cup to a predetermined position, with the interleaf fixed in this manner, to remove the interleaf outwardly of the plate feed apparatus each time a plate is taken out of the cassette by means of a movable arm or the like.
Unfortunately, the suction cup for holding the interleaf under suction sometimes also attracts the plate on the back surface of the interleaf, with the interleaf between the suction cup and the plate, depending on environmental conditions such as the type of interleaf and static electricity. In this case, jamming occurs to result in a failure to successfully remove the interleaf. Moreover, there is a likelihood that the plate accidentally held under suction by the interleaf-holding suction cup damages other plates in the cassette.
To solve such a problem, a conventional apparatus vertically vibrates the interleaf-holding suction cup during the transport of the interleaf to shake off the plate attached to the back surface of the interleaf. Another conventional technique for preventing the plate from attaching to the interleaf is such that a scraper or spatula placed near an interleaf-removing suction cup is used to rub the front surface of the interleaf to bring the interleaf partly out of contact with the plate, and the suction cup is attached to the interleaf in this condition under suction (as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-39568 by the same assignee as the present invention).
In the first background art technique, there is a likelihood that the plate is not reliably removed from the interleaf.
In the second background art technique, the scraper sometimes fails to sufficiently bring the interleaf partly out of contact with the plate if the interleaf-removing suction cup when holding the interleaf under suction is at an improper height. This brings about an unsuccessful result such that not only the interleaf but also the plate is held under suction by the suction cup.